Remember when Jermaine Jones, a star midfield destroyer in the Germaan Bundesliga suddenly popped up as an potential USMNT player?


Remember when Jones got hurt last summer, but would only need a few months to recover?


Remember when it looked like Jones might get back on the field for Schalke, making is possible his National Team debut was imminent?


Yeah, you can go ahead and forget about all of that.


Jones still has not played this year for Schalke, is still experiencing pain in the shin he injured eight months ago, and has no timetable for a return to action. While USMNT fans are flipping out (in a good) way over the surprising possibility that Charlie Davies will be back for the World Cup and the amazing progress Oguchi Onyewu seems to be making, Jones' extended recovery is best forgotten about.



Better yet if we could all just simply wipe away any memories we have that Jones was ever an option; flip a switch, stare at a flashing light, and go back to a time when Jermaine Jones was still in the German National Team's player pool. The whole thing has been one giant tease.


Directing our hopeful expectations towards Davies and Oneywu, which I'm sure we're all doing anyway, is a much better use of our energy.


As exciting as the possibility was that Jones might suit up for the country of his father and give the United States a proven play with big league credentials, it was never guaranteed that he would simply slot right in and make the team better. Jones would have needed time to acclimate to his new teammates, the style of play, and the his role in the setup; even if Jones returns from his injury on the club level in a month or two, it's doubtful there is enough time for all of that to happen before Bob Bradley fills out his roster for South Africa.


So, unless you're a fan of Schalke 04, I highly suggest you forget about Jermaine Jones.



This is not the midfielder you were looking for.